Jersey Shore Alpacas

Back around the holidays, John and I went to visit Jersey Shore Alpacas after watching them on an episode of Weekend Philler. Trust me when I tell you, these furry little creatures did not disappoint.

(Me and John, Weekend Philler Senior Producer)

The alpacas are kept in a corral but what’s interesting is that you were able to decipher which alpacas were “friendly” because they were the ones wearing scarves. You’re never exposed to an animal that isn’t friendly; just that some are still in training to be surrounded by people (they’re pretty chill regardless). We went to the event because Jersey Shore Alpacas advertised an opportunity to get Christmas photos taken with the animals and it was one of those weird, geeky, animal obsessed moments I refused to pass up.

The area is filled with alpacas. They go over instructions on how to properly hold the animal, where they go to the bathroom so you don’t accidentally step in it, and most notable, not to stand behind them because they kick.

Getting up close and personal with these alpacas was never something I thought I’d get the chance to do. It’s a neat opportunity to be able to interact with an animal you ordinarily wouldn’t be able to. These alpacas were docile and used to being petted (though probably not used to my poor photography skills). To properly grab a selfie with one, you have to gently anchor your arm around and underneath it’s neck- don’t worry, the handlers show you and you aren’t hurting the alpaca at all!

After spending about forty minutes with them, it was time to leave and John and I were over the moon with how unique the experience was. We bought some gloves made from alpaca wool from the gift shop inside – which have been toasty warm during the nasty nor’easter here on the east coast as of late.

It was a free event and all they ask for is a donation for what you can afford. They even offer complimentary hot chocolate and snacks. Jersey Shore Alpacas provided a very homey experience, both for us and our furry companions. You can tell all the alpacas are very well cared for, which was important to me since I’m an animal lover.

And, honestly, the most magical part of the whole experience was seeing how excited all the children were to be around these special animals. You could see from their smiles that it made their day (and their parents’ family Christmas card!) I definitely can’t wait to take my nephew there this summer and depending on how long they offer this event, one I’ll take my children to when they come into existence.

The animals seemed to really enjoy me. All except for this one. I think he thought my llama sweater was too insensitive…